Life

Paratriathletes Look to Set New Standards in Busselton

Three para-triathletes are out to realize their dreams at IRONMAN Western Australia.

The IRONMAN mantra that anything is possible sounds trite when it comes to the hopes and dreams of a trio of para-triathletes lining up in the SunSmart IRONMAN Western Australia. South African Pieter du Preez hopes to become the first quadriplegic to finish an IRONMAN, Melbourne’s Rob Paterson is wheelchair-bound and Western Australia’s Brant Garvey is a below-the-knee amputee—all three are competing at Busselton this weekend.

Ten years ago du Preez, then a promising triathlete, was hit by a vehicle while riding his bike, which left him as a C6 quadriplegic, virtually paralysed from his chest down. He is limited to shoulder, bicep and some wrist movement and is unable to sweat, which results in his body overheating. But using his faith and sport, du Preez developed into a world class hand-cycle athlete, competing in the London Paralympics last year.

His preparations for Busselton have not been without ill-fortune, though. He broke his forearm last month, which required surgery to have a plate with screws inserted.

"A cyclist did a U-turn in front of me without looking. I am still going to give it a go, although the odds are now against me to make those cut offs, but I believe I can," says du Preez. "It means I will probably have to push with one arm in the marathon. I am a professional athlete so obviously I won't do the time I would have liked now, but I want to be the first quadriplegic in the world to do this. For me first prize would be to make that bike cut off, which is where a C6 falls behind able bodies the most."

Garvey wants to become the first below-the-knee amputee to finish an IRONMAN on Australian soil. He is a congenital amputee who has not let his disability hold him back. His personal motto is "noXcuses," which is now his movement, challenging others to "get off the couch."

His achievements are remarkable – a five-time team finisher of the 20km Rottnest Channel Swim, winning five Australian Wheelchair Basketball titles and a professional contract in Europe. Earlier this year he competed in the CrossFit Open against 20,000 able bodied Australians.

That led him to triathlon, where he competed at the ITU World Triathlon Championships in London this year and he has set his sights on the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Now he faces arguably his biggest challenge at the 10th SunSmart IRONMAN Western Australia.

"I'm truly excited about the possibility of becoming the first below the knee amputee. It’s not easy to be a pioneer in something these days and this will also be the biggest challenge mentally and physically I have ever taken on," says Garvey.

On race day he’ll face the usual challenges all competitors face, with a few extra ones thrown in for good measure.

"There are a couple of factors that could affect me, mechanical problems on either my bike leg or running leg. If either of these fails, it could be game over."

Paterson became a paraplegic after being hit by a semi-trailer when on his bike training for a triathlon more than 20 years ago.

He was in hospital for six months, but he returned to sport where he had been a noted rugby league player and a black belt in karate. Paterson became an accomplished para-athlete and continued in the gym business and in nutrition, areas in which he is well qualified, rising to the Chair of Nutrition Australia. He also continued coaching football at Melbourne University and has not let anything stand in his way.

"One of the things that I learned from my accident was that the skills learned in rugby league set me up to handle things more easily. I had to set goals before with my training so that was helpful. In sport you develop a heap of skills including psychological and intellectual skills."

The idea to take on an IRONMAN was made over a coffee.

"I was having a coffee with long time mate and triathlete Paul O'Brien and came up with this crazy notion of doing Busselton. My brother and his family live in Busso, and I spoke with John Maclean once, who said how much he had enjoyed the race."

The one thing Paterson learned was to never give up. "It's not in my nature," he says.